Mrs. Priss

Being a rude little snot seems to be the cool thing to do these days. Amen?

Cashiers who don’t speak a word to you are number one on my list — ahh, it drives me nuts. It’s called Customer Service for a reason… if you have no people skills, get a new job.

Don’t even get me started on drivers who don’t signal before a turn, the ones who try desperately to sneak in front of you at the last minute to be at the front of the line at the light, OR the little devils who pace the car in the lane next to them making it IMPOSSIBLE for me to pass and causing me to be late to work because I was forced to go 25mph the entire trip (this morning).

Bitter, much?

The following tips on handling rude people and situations shed a new light on my own attitude — and the fact my slight overreactions seem to be compounding the problem (See #3 on the list below). My 10-second-minimum horn honking habit shows I’m not any better than the drivers I despise so much, apparently. Who would’ve thought?

5 Ways to Combat Rudeness

1. Don’t take it personally. Perhaps the offender is having a bad day.
2. Size up your annoyances. Is it worth it to make a fuss over something small, or is it a waste of your emotional time?
3. Set a good example. Rudeness begets rudeness. If you speak sharply to the bank teller, don’t be surprised if you get the same treatment in return.
4. Count to ten. When someone’s behavior makes you angry, take a few deep breaths and ask yourself, “Is it really worth blowing my stack over this?”
5. Laugh it off. If you can’t come up with a friendly joke, just chuckle and change the subject.

From the brilliant Emily Post (& family)

Lesson learned:  We are the ones who need to go out and set the bar.  No eye rolling, whispers under your breath, or laying on the horn for unnecessary and ridiculous amounts of time to get the point across that you are unhappy (MORGAN).

A recent post by Kate over at Kate’s Wedding prompted this post idea.  If you have a minute, check out her blog — fabulouuuuuus.

Classy.

As much as I’ve preached the importance of etiquette and manners, I have to admit that I have made many a faux-pas in my day (the composition of that sentence is probably one in itself). A major complaint my family has is how frequently I reapply my makeup. My Mom, in particular gives me quite a hard time, reminding me that I don’t need ‘all that makeup’ (yes I absolutely do), and can’t understand why I would ever feel the need to apply powder more than once during the day (do the words oil slick mean anything to you?).

Anyway, a question that has been nagging me for quite some time is whether or not applying lipstick at the table after a meal is considered rude. Whipping out the compact and fixing my eyeliner I can understand, but what about a quick little dab of gloss? After doing a little research, I’m pleased to say I haven’t been behaving too terribly after all.

Helena Echlin writes an article called Table Manners, and I found these guidelines helpful in my quest for lipstick etiquette knowledge. She makes a few good points:

• Generally, you should save grooming for the bathroom, but putting on lipstick is different because it isn’t unhygienic. Brushing your hair, flossing, and filing your nails — just don’t. Gross.
• It’s important that you get the task over with quickly. A quick swipe of lipstick or gloss is acceptable, but fiddling around with a lip liner is not.
• If you absolutely NEED a mirror, at least make sure that it’s cute and dainty (aren’t those darling?).

Emily Post would also add these tips:

It’s okay to quickly apply lipstick at the table if you’re with close friends or relatives in a non-business situation, and at a non-deluxe restaurant. In general, personal grooming should be done in private for the simple reason that it can be annoying and it’s tacky. But putting on lipstick without using a mirror and without fanfare is one grooming ritual that can sometimes be performed in front of others. Still, think first! When in doubt, don’t do it, such as when you’re at a business meal or with people you don’t know very well.

So basically, keep it quick, don’t draw too much attention to yourself, and when in doubt, make a trip to the restroom. That’s one place no one will judge you.

I realize I’ve been doing quite a bit of pregnancy posts lately — I’m just a tad consumed with it all, can you tell? In keeping with my Prissy side, I’d say it’s high time I speak on something that everyone can appreciate… Etiquette! Yayyyy. After all, what’s more ladylike than having manners?

As dull as it may seem, I can’t stress enough the importance of every day etiquette. It reaches far beyond ‘please and thank you’ & chewing with your mouth closed:

“Wherever two people come together and their actions affect one another, you have etiquette.”

- Emily Post

With the assistance of Emily Post’s Etiquette bible that my dear friend blessed me with on my birthday, I’ll have something new and useful (hopefully!) to share with all you wonderful ladies very soon.

And if you’re just DYING to see each week’s installment of Pregnant Morgan’s Expanding Waistline, never fear … I’m on a roll with my ghetto-work-bathroom-low-quality-cell-phone-pictures. Why stop now? :)